The present invention relates generally to products of bags and cases, and more particularly to a fabric structure for making bags and the like and the manufacturing method thereof.
Various fabric materials have been developed for use in making travel bags, sports bags, backpacks, and the like for the advantage of lightweight, comfortable touch, ease of processing, and low cost. In early days, fabric sheet materials were directly used to make bags through cutting and stitching procedures. However, because a single layer of fabric sheet material is not waterproof, it is not acceptable to most consumers. In order to eliminate this problem, a polymeric backing layer is needed. Conventionally, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is used for the polymeric backing layer. However, when burned, PVC produces dioxin and other toxic gases that are harmful to the human beings and the environment. Due to this pollution problem, PVC is not the best choice for making the polymeric backing layer. Further, due to high specific gravity (about 1.3), PVC is not suitable for making lightweight bags. Other polymeric materials including PE (polyethylene), EVA (ethylene-vinyl-acetate copolymer), or the combination of PE and EVA may be used for making the polymeric backing layer. However, these materials have low flexibility and poor touch. When folded up, a permanent fold line may be left. Due to the mentioned drawbacks, these materials are rarely used for making bags and cases.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a fabric structure for making bags and the like, which uses SBC (styrenic block copolymer) for the polymeric backing layer instead of potential pollutants such as PVC.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a fabric structure, which has high flexibility.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a fabric structure, which has a low specific gravity suitable for making lightweight bags and the like.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a fabric structure, which is waterproof and, has a nice touch.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a fabric structure, which has its protective layer prepared subject to the desired color.
To achieve the above mentioned objects of the present invention, the fabric structure comprises a fabric base sheet, the fabric base sheet having a front surface adapted to be disposed on the outside of the bag to be made and a back surface; a polymeric backing layer containing SBC (styrenic block copolymer), the polymeric backing layer having a front bonding surface bonded to the back surface of the fabric base sheet and a back surface; and a protective layer prepared from a surface treatment agent and coated on the polymeric backing layer, the protective layer having an inner surface bonded to the back surface of the polymeric backing layer and an outer surface adapted to be disposed to the inside of the bag to be made.